Planning Commission recommends multiple zoning code amendments to City Council

The Rosemount Planning Commission on Sept. 23 voted to recommend several amendments to the city’s zoning ordinance, forwarding the package to City Council with a staff‑recommended edit to remove a duplicate reference to trees in one subsection.

Anthony (city planning staff) presented a group of proposed amendments that staff had discussed with the commission in earlier meetings. The recommended changes addressed: permitted uses in non‑residential districts (specifically adding educational services to the B2 employment district use table), standards for commercial event centers, accessory outdoor dining areas, fencing standards for corner lots, and certain landscaping and screening provisions.

On permitted uses, staff said the amendment adds educational services (for example, dance and music instruction and tutoring) as a permitted use in the B2 employment district. Staff noted this change followed a review of comparable codes in other cities and the commission’s prior discussion about whether such activities belonged under an indoor commercial recreation definition or as a separate educational‑services use; staff recommended the latter.

For commercial event centers (code section 11‑6‑3), staff recommended removing the requirement that the property owner and venue operator be the same person and live on the premises; instead, the operator must be on site for the duration of each event. Staff also proposed that the maximum number of guests be determined by site plan considerations (building size, parking availability, and other relevant factors) rather than a hard 200‑guest cap. Staff and commissioners noted other applicable codes, such as state fire code, would also affect occupant limits.

On outdoor dining and liquor licensing, staff proposed aligning zoning language with recent changes in the city clerk’s liquor licensing code so that patio or deck areas must be compact and contiguous to the licensed premises and be quarantined off by an appropriate fence, wall or staff monitor as approved by city staff.

On fencing standards, staff proposed removing a specific 48‑inch limit where a side yard abuts a front yard on a corner lot and allowing a standard 6‑foot fence height around the entire side and rear yard of those corner lots. Commissioners discussed that property lines do not extend to the curb and that an approximately 13‑foot setback exists from curb to private property line in many places.

For landscaping, staff recommended allowing trees planted in parking lot islands and peninsulas to count toward the site’s total required tree count (one tree per 3,000 square feet), while shrubs, flowers and ground cover in those islands would remain additional to foundation planting requirements. Staff said the 90% opacity screening requirement would be revisited in a later discussion with landscaping professionals to define how best to measure and apply that standard.

No members of the public spoke during the public hearing on the text amendments. Commissioner Keninger moved to recommend City Council approve the zoning code amendments as described in the staff report dated Sept. 23, 2025, with the staff edit to strike a duplicate reference to trees in section 11‑7‑6; Commissioner Reid seconded. The motion passed on a voice vote. Staff said the amendments will go to City Council on Oct. 7.